Defending the Dignity of All Human Life

Today, for the second time in a few short months, the grass outside of the University of Victoria (UVic) library will be covered with 10,000 small pink and blue flags. Students who are members of a pro-life campus club at the University of Victoria will plant the flags and engage passers by in respectful dialogue regarding abortion and the human rights of the pre-born. Each flag represents 10 pre-born children who are aborted in Canada every year. Although statistics are difficult to confirm with certainty because two provinces censor all abortion information, there are approximately 100,000 abortions in Canada every year. That is the equivalent of about 5,000 classrooms filled with children.

“We believe that human rights are for all human beings. The intentional ending of human life through abortion presents an injustice that should not be happening 100,000 times a year in Canada,” said Cecilia Fillipone, the event organizer and President of Youth Protecting Youth.

Students will have resources available that have been provided by WeNeedaLAW.ca, a national campaign that focuses on building support for legislation that will bring Canada into line with other democracies around the world.

“The reality is, Canada is in an extreme position,” said Fillipone. “Since 1988, we have had zero legal protections for pre-born children. This legal void needs to be filled. Certainly we can find common ground by regulating late-term and sex-selective abortion.”

This is the second flag display that Youth Protecting Youth has been involved in since November. Their last event was vandalized by protestors who pulled up all the flags. Instead of defending the free expression of the pro-life students, campus security stood by while the protestors destroyed the flag display.

“The University was very accommodating and recognized that our event was improperly managed by security staff, resulting in vandalism by protestors. We are very thankful for their gracious response to our concerns,” said Fillipone. “When they offered to grant us another event permit for the spring semester we put plans in motion which have resulted in today’s flag display.”

Fillipone concluded by saying, “Universities are places where ideas ought to be debated. As young Canadians we should welcome opportunities to be challenged so we can formulate our own thoughts and worldview. The reality is, when Canadians are informed that there are no laws, a majority consistently say pre-born children should be protected, at some point, by the law.”